The Early Show

Best Sites to Sell Clutter for Cash

NEW YORK -- It's always a good idea to clear your house of clutter, getting rid of the old to make way for new, or just clearing space, but it's even better if you can make some money for your stuff while you're at it.

On "The Early Show" Monday, AOL Consumer Adviser LaToya Drake let viewers in on some of the best websites for selling electronics, books, clothes and other items.

What are the best places to sell our old electronics?

If you're among the people who received more gadgets than you can handle over the holidays, before you trash them check to see if you can squeeze a little cash out of them. Everyone has at least a few old electronic devices around the house. Giving them to a recycler is an easy way to get rid of them, but selling or trading them is even better. If you already have one too many gadgets (i.e. a 3rd Generation iPod, an iPod touch, an iPod shuffle and an iPhone) and received a few extra over the holidays, it's time to purge!

Sites such as Gazelle.com give you cash for all sorts of gadgets including cell phones, digital cameras, computers and the like. NextWorth.com offers Target gift cards in exchange for old electronics.

While you can trade in old iPods and computers at Apple.com for a 10 percent discount on new models, for those Apple products that are broken beyond repair, you're not out of luck -- TuneCycle.com pays cash for them.

Other sites like ReCellular.com pay an average of $30 for cell phones they buy back and pay for the shipping to send it, as well.

How about books?

Reselling textbooks isn't limited to just college students looking to recoup a few bucks. Major bookstores like Borders allow you to turn your books into cash. All you need to do is type in the ISBN number for a quote, print and mail using the label they supply and wait for your check.

Cash4Books.net is another option for selling your books. In addition to paying your shipping fees, they also deposit the money into your PayPal account.

To give away books, check out PaperBackSwap.com. You earn credits by giving away books, and after earning enough credits, earn a free book to read

Clothing and other worn items

If you're looking to re-sell those items that have collected dust at the back of your closet, a site such as PlatosCloset.com is the perfect place to go. It specializes in teens and twenty-something girls/guys, and this is a site I used when I was in college when I needed extra dollars.

For selling kids clothing, check out online forums specific to your neighborhood. Diedre Ayers, a Brooklyn mom, goes to her local neighborhood parenting forum, ParkSlopeParents.com to resell her 18 month-old son's clothing. "Kids go through clothes so quickly they're outgrowing them as soon as you buy them. So we look to our local community to sell them, and aloes buy clothes for his next stage."

You could also check out ThredUp.com, where you can swap not only kids clothing, but also toys. There, you send a box of stuff to a buyer and can select a box of your own!

Various smaller items

Sifting through your home clutter might actually net a few vintage gems. If you find a potential antique and need to get an idea for what it's worth try WhatSellsBest.com to see what it's going for on eBay. For items 20 years or older sell them at Etsy.com (the fine print: Etsy charges 20 cents to list an item for four months. When the item sells, you're charged a 3.5 percent transaction fee).

If you're remodeling or refurnishing a home, what you're getting rid of doesn't have to go to junk yard

Remodeling a home doesn't mean you need to take a trip to the junkyard to get rid of everything including the kitchen sink. DiggersList.com enables you to post everything from ceramic sinks, toilets, lamps, furniture items like dining sets, office chairs, tables and sofas, and even cans of paint. You can also post heavy equipment like water trucks and compactors. The site is available in 40 cities and is free.

To donate, rather than sell

Freecycle.com has over 8.2 million members worldwide and encourages giving as well as receiving stuff. Also consider organizing a neighborhood clothing exchange if you want to avoid the Web altogether. If you want to organize an exchange in your neighborhood and reach out to your neighbors, you can also check out Patch.com.